Light of A Goddess
by Liza Taylor
Summary: Hikari, a young farmer moves to Castanet to help better hide her secret. At night, she turns into the Harvest Goddess! After accidently unlocking the seal on an evil being, she must now use her Goddess powers to stop Lamitonh from destroying Castanet!
1. Sacrifice

**So, here's my newest story. It's a fantasy-style story that takes place on Castanet. Well, I don't want to give much away right now, so enjoy!**

The explosion shook the earth knocking the two divine beings backwards from the aftershock. The woman stepped forward, her pretty blue dress pressed against her legs as the wind pushed it back. The many different pieces of jewelry on her body as well as her long blue hair were perfectly in place like always. A little explosion would not change that.

"Lamotnih!"

She had spoken in a normal tone but the strength of her words and who she was echoed behind them. She was one of the two divine beings. She would not be defeated so easily. "Leave at once," she continued, "Leave and we will not have to resort to this."

The man stepped forward to join the woman. His orange hair was spiky and wild. His orange eyes blazed with the anger of the fire. "Lamotnih!" he roared, his voice the complete opposite of the woman. His thundered with uncontrollable rage.

Lamotnih snickered as he stepped through the smoke created from his blast. His appearance had shocked both deities. They didn't expect someone looking like him could actually be the evil being they had fought against for many years.

"Oh please," he sneered, adjusting his blue suit until it fit the way he wanted it to. "The last time that voice scared me, I was but a child."

The man's eyes narrowed and he stepped towards Lamotnih. Flames danced around him, ready to come to his aid against this monster.

"Wait Ignis," spoke the woman. She placed a gentle hand on his arm, the loving flow of power from her touch trying to calm him down.

"No Sephia," Ignis yanked his arm away from her grasp. This was not a time to be calm. "This…monster is trying to destroy everything. Talk will not help at all."

"But…"

"No."

Movement caught his eye and he pushed Sephia away as a huge ball of energy hit the Harvest God head on.

"IGNIS!" screamed Sephia as Ignis was shot backwards. She watched in horror as he crashed to the ground, a loud groan the only thing that signaled that he was still alive.

She turned her pale eyes to Lamotnih. He was just standing there, grinning like the mad man he was. His hand was held out and a dark pulsing ball of energy was beginning to form.

Sephia tightened her fists as she watched both Ignis and Lamotnih out of the corner of each eye. She knew Ignis would not be able to take another attack like that right after the first. And to make matters worse he did it to make sure she was still relatively unharmed.

"Now now. Be a good little goddess and just hang tight right there while I take care of him," said Lamotnih. The pulsing orb in his hand was almost bigger that his head and it kept growing. Forget the fact that Ignis would probably not be able to move after the attack, he probably wouldn't even survive in his state!

Sephia's eyes gazed around them. The destruction of the land around them made her heart weep. The trees were broken like twigs, the dirt tossed upwards so the soil that had been dormant in the earth for years had been forced to wake again. All this destruction and devastation. For what? What was the purpose of it? She could hear the land's cries. This island was her home. She could not, would not allow Lamotnih to take it from her!

"Die Harvest God!" snarled Lamotnih, throwing the huge orb of energy towards him.

There was no more time. The decision had to be made.

Ignis was sitting up as the energy ball was thrown at him. He gritted his teeth and struggled to get to his feet to block the orb. Based on the size he knew that thing could wipe out half the island! It was his duty to protect the island! That duty gave him the strength to rise.

However it never reached him. "Sephia!" he cried as the Harvest Goddess stood in front of Ignis, her arms spread out as if receiving the orb of energy like a hug. Her green-blue hair was released from the hair ornament that kept it in a loop and in braids. It flew around her, danced around her like a wild animal.

"No Ignis!" she yelled as she struggled to hold the orb back. When she had turned her head she also could see the fallen bodies of Vivi and Gale. The two had been knocked out of the battle early on. Lamotnih had barely touched them but they could not withstand his power. She gritted her teeth and turned forward again. Her power flowed through her at an alarming rate.

"Sephia!" she cried Ignis cry out from behind her. Her heart felt like it was going to break as she heard the undertone to his voice.

_"No,"_ she thought, focusing all of her energy on the orb pushing against her chest. It was trying to get to Ignis and the island but she would not let it.

"Oh come on," sneered Lamotnih. "Just hurry up and give up already." He dramatically yawned. "You are seriously starting to bore me."

Sephia gritted her teeth. The pain from the orb against her body was getting more intense. She could not hold it any longer. However she would not let Lamotnih win. "Lamotnih!" she screamed, "I will not let you win. "

"Oh?" Lamotnih chuckled. "How do you expect to do that?" His red eyes mocked her more than his words did. "You can barely hold my attack back. How can you even stop me?"

"I will do it," said Sephia.

She knew behind her Ignis's eyes were widening. He knew what she would do. She had to hurry. "I will seal you away," she spoke calmly. Her power radiated through her at an alarming rate. It was pulsing, resonating with her heartbeat.

"Sephia! Don't!" yelled Ignis. She could feel him right behind her. He was trying to reach out, to grab her but her power prevented him from getting too close.

She turned her head slightly so she could see him. The distraught expression on his face almost made her give up and throw away the stupid idea but she tightened her resolve. "Ignis," she whispered only for his ears. "Please. Just let me go. I…I promise to come back one day. Don't worry." She cracked a small smile for him before releasing all of her power at once.

Ignis didn't want to let her go so he continued to reach even when she was enveloped in light. The light grew brighter and brighter until he was forced to pull his hand back to cover his eyes. It surrounded him with warmth. It felt like Sephia's loving embrace. He wanted to hold onto it forever but it disappeared as fast as it came.

The battleground was now silent. Ignis looked around. The island was still ruined, the only symbol of what had happened. He turned to the spot where Sephia had been standing.

She was gone.

There was nothing there. It was like she had-wait.

Ignis saw something sticking out of the dirt. He walked over and picked it up. It was a silver bracelet. One of the ones Sephia had worn on her wrist. He clutched it tightly and held it close to his chest and for the first time in his long life he wept.

He tears wet the earth as the sun slowly peeked out of its hiding place casting light onto the island. "I will wait for you," he whispered to the bracelet. "No matter what it takes."

Far, far away from the troubles of the island, the cries of a newborn echoed through the hospital. The mother smiled down at the child while the father looked on from over her shoulder.

"She's beautiful," whispered the mother, stroking the baby's cheek. "What shall we name her?"

As if answering her call, the sunlight streamed in through the window covering the baby in the glow.

"Hikari," spoke the father.

"Yes," agreed the mother. "Hikari it is."

The newborn, Hikari struggled in her mother's grasp as she felt something warm and comforting embrace her. It was kind and careful.

_"Your time will come soon," _spoke a gentle voice lulling the child to sleep.


	2. Unleashing The Seal

**Well here is chapter 2.**

Hikari footsteps pounded against the ground, her breath coming out in short gasps. She had to hurry. There wasn't much time left. Her feet pushed off the ground faster and faster as she made her way up the hill.

It was finally visible to her eyes. A small beacon at the top of the hill. The setting sun casted huge shadows but painted the sky a wonderful color. Hikari could not enjoy the scenery however. She had to hurry. If she didn't make it in time…

She shook her head. No. She couldn't think about that. She would make it.

She passed her field, filled with ripe tomatoes, watermelons and other summer crops. Her field was empty of the animals for they were already put into the barn that afternoon before going to Brass Bar to hang out with her friends.

Hikari's fingers touched the doorknob just as the sun's light began to disappear. She yanked it open forcefully, jumped inside and shut it behind her. Her fingers closed the five locks on the door without thinking. The thick curtains that didn't show what was going on inside were already drawn closed making the room seem extremely dark.

Hikari took a deep breath and flicked on the light to her house. The light in the ceiling lit up a well furnished size one home. It was small but it had everything she needed.

She took a deep breath and headed for the vanity she had set up near her bed. Peering within the mirror she sighed. Instead of a young brunette, the mirror reflected an older, more mature woman with free flowing blue-green hair that almost reached the floor. A sparkling blue dress hung close to her body, matching the two long narrow wings coming out of her back.

"I'm not surprised," she said quietly heading for the kitchen. She pulled the refrigerator door open and grabbed a random assortment of ingredients. A couple of vegetables and some fish she had caught the day before. Walking on bare feet she headed for the kitchen, the almost transparent wings pressed tightly against her back so she wouldn't knock anything over as she grabbed a pot and the cutting board and got to work on dinner.

From what her parents told her, it all started a few days after taking her home from the hospital. Immediately after the sun set she turned into a miniature version of what she looked like today at night. Her parents had freaked out at first but then they didn't. It was like a switch had turned off and they accepted that their child turned into someone else at night.

While she was growing up she thought the night-time transformations were normal and that everyone went through them. She had always found it odd when her parents never let her stay outside after dark to play with her friends. It was only when she was invited to a sleepover did she find out the truth. Her parents had refused to let her go and explained why. Explained that the night transformations were not normal and she had to be careful to who knew.

Ever since then Hikari retreated into herself. She had a couple friends over the years but none close enough to be considered to be a best friend that she could share everything with. How could she explain that she turned into someone else at night? They wouldn't understand.

After she finished high school she decided to not burden her parents anymore and moved to Castanet to become a farmer. Living on the island was good. The people were nice and didn't poke around where they didn't belong. She was able to make a good living here.

Although she never told her parents she had figured out when she was five that she could control how plants grew to some extent. She had practiced that power in secret and well, it was a secret to her success in the farming business. Of course she didn't do it too often. Bringing suspicion onto herself was not something she needed.

Hikari tasted the stew she had going on the pot. It was pretty good if she did say so herself. She poured herself a bowl and sat down at her table. She looked around the empty room with sadness as she ate her dinner.

She had been on the island for almost two years and although she found the bachelors on the island to be nice, how could they be with someone like her? She held a huge secret. Becoming someone else at night was not the right and she did not know if she could trust anyone with that secret.

"Who am I at night?" she whispered quietly to herself. Even after all this time she couldn't understand it. Why her? Why did she transform at night?

Not hungry anymore, she got up and put the rest of the stew in the fridge before heading to bed. She wanted to be in this form for as little time as possible. She climbed into the bed and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning she woke up in a dark room. She got out of bed and headed for the mirror. A quick look told her that the sun was up outside. She opened the curtains to let weak morning light into the small home.

After a quick breakfast she walked outside and did her farmwork. Her animals were let out into the field for grazing while she tended to the crops. She smiled as she began harvesting the ripe tomatoes. The onions and tea leaves were also ready and after she picked them she took the seed packets out of her rucksack and replanted.

After she was done tending to her fields she got to work on her animals. Collecting eggs, silk, feeding the silkworms, milking her two cows, goat and sheep and collecting the ostrich egg.

She threw most of the items into the shipping bin except for a bottle of milk and two eggs which she put in her fridge. While she was at home, she grabbed her hammer and emptied her rucksack of almost everything in it except for some bodigizer. "I'm all ready for mining today," she said to herself as she left her house.

A quick whistle brought her pure white horse Snow over. After mounting she pushed Snow into a trot and headed for town. The day was already beginning to heat up from the summer sun overhead. She made a mental note to check on her crops again before sunset to make sure they didn't dry out in this weather.

As she passed into Harmonica Town she was hit by the morning bustle. The many shop owners were just opening up for the day. Hikari waved to Shelly as the old woman stepped outside to open up her shop for the day.

She passed the Choral Clinic and stopped in front of the entrance to Watery Cave. That was today's objective. Get to the bottom of Watery Cave and back before the sun set in the sky. "Let's hope I can do this," she whispered to Snow before getting off her back.

"Oh, Hikari. You going to the mine today?"

Hikari looked up at the voice. Well, down was the better word. "Oh, Mayor Hamiliton," she bowed slightly. "Yes. I'm going to the mine today."

"Well I hope you make it down there," said the mayor smiling.

"I do too," she said. "Anyway. I should go." She bowed slightly to Hamiliton again before walking into the mine.

"Something in there is waiting for you!"

Hikari looked back in confusion but Hamiliton was gone. _"Well that was weird,"_ she shrugged and continued on.

The mine was a bit colder and wetter than she thought it would be but that didn't stop her. She continued pushing onwards and downwards. She had bought a watch a while back and kept checking on it every now and then. She was making good progress on the mining part of it too. She had collected a good collection of ores when her feet finally reached the bottom floor.

"Made it," she said to herself, only a little bit out of breath.

She looked around the bottom floor of the Watery Mine. Like how Owen described it, there was a pool of water to fish in but something else caught her eye. Something in the corner of the cavern.

Hikari made her way over and saw it was a huge slab of stone with a smaller stone on top of it. Weird rune-like markings covered both stones. And even though she should not have been able to, she could understand a couple of the runes.

"Lamotnih….seal…Sephia…Ignis…Vivi…Gale…power…" Hikari blinked and looked away. What was she doing? How could she read this stone? "Okay Hikari," she said, "It's time to back away from the stone and go to that fishing pool like you're supposed to."

She turned to go but as she did her elbow smacked against the smaller stone knocking it off the bigger one. "Ack!" she cried as she grabbed the stone from the ground. However as soon as her fingers touched it the runes on the smaller stone began to glow bright red. Her eyes widen in shock and fear. Hearing a weird sound she turned around and fell. A scream was lodged in her throat. The bigger stone's runes were also glowing red but that wasn't all. Something red-blood?- was pouring out of the runes coating the stone floor as it seeped towards her.

Hikari backed away in fear. What was going on? This couldn't be happening!

A sharp pitched screech filled the air and the cavern shook. A huge shadow erupted out of the bleeding stone and it towered over Hikari. The only definite thing on it was a pair of glowing red eyes.

This couldn't be happening! She had to be dreaming. Nothing like this happened in real life, only in the movies!

The shadow stared at her with those cruel red eyes and laughed. A chilling horrible laugh that shook Hikari' entire being. Tears sprung up in her eyes as she tried to back away more but her back met with the wall on the other side of the cavern.

"So this is what you're reduced to," said a chilling voice. It didn't seem to come just from the shadow but from everywhere in the cavern. "A small sniveling human unable to tap into your powers." A claw-like shadow left the main body and reached for her.

The tears were coming out in full waves and Hikari slammed her eyes closed. She was going to die. Going to die here by this _thing._

When nothing happened she cracked open an eye and saw the claw shadow was merely an inch away from her face but wasn't moving. Her eyes opened fully and they traveled up to the shadow' cruel red eyes. They stared at her with something else…

The claw shadow retreated and the huge shadow lifted upwards until it went to the floor above.

"What happened?" whispered Hikari slowing getting to her feet, the tiny stones in the floor digging into her bare feet.

Bare feet?

A quick look over made her realize that she was transformed. A quick look at the watch revealed that the sun had set outside. What luck. She was saved because of her transformation. But why? She shivered. No time to think about that. She just wanted to get out of here.

She slowly made her way around the pools of red on the floor before hurrying up the stairs. The stone floor hurt against her bare feet and she almost tripped on her long hair but she kept going. She wanted to get far away from the Watery Cave as possible.

When she reached the top floor, sense returned to her and she checked outside to make sure no one was around. Her horse Snow was waiting patiently for her like she always had. "Good girl," she whispered as she slowly made her way over to the horse. Because Snow didn't back away she guessed the horse knew it was her. She patted Snow on the nose before hoisting herself onto Snow's back. The way the blue dress was, she was either going to have to sit side-saddle or show way more of her legs that she really wanted to. Option B seemed like the better choice at the moment. "Fly home," she said to Snow before pushing the horse to a gallop.

In a small home with a star on it, a man stepped out to watch the rider and horse run out of town and towards Flute Fields. His eyes narrowed as he clearly saw the rider in the moonlight. Without a word he turned and returned to his home, the door locked behind him.


	3. First Shadow Attack

**Chapter 3!**

Hikari woke the next morning to rapid thumping on the door. Groaning she sat up and ran her fingers through a hair. Based on how short it was she knew the sun was already up. The thumping was louder now.

"Coming!" called Hikari crawling out of bed. She shook off the sleepiness and headed for the door. She pulled it open to see Chloe standing there. "Chloe?" she asked in confusion.

The little girl grinned up at Hikari. "Hey Hikari," she said. "Grandpa told me to come to get you!"

"Get me?" Hikari thought for a moment. Of course! She had promised Ramsey she would come by to help the old man out for the day. She had completely forgotten! She wasn't done taking care of her farm for the day either since she had just woken up. "ACK!" she yelled.

Chloe watched in amusement as Hikari ran around her farm trying to get all of her farm work done before noon. She needed to be done helping Ramsey before the sun set. Otherwise…

She shook her head and focused her full attention on getting all of her crops watered. Picking crops was not something she was going to do today. Maybe she could do it tonight when she was sure everyone was asleep.

"Are you done yet?" asked Chloe in typical child fashion when Hikari went to tend her animals.

"Almost," replied Hikari, wishing for once she had the power to do all these tasks at once. She immediately took it back. Being someone else at night was bad enough.

She paused in her milking. The events from yesterday played over and over in her head. The bleeding stone and that shadow. No way. She pushed the thought away. That couldn't be real. Sure she transformed into someone else at night but that wasn't in the same league as whatever that was. "You were just hallucinating," she whispered. "That's it. Just that."

"Hikari!"

"Coming Chloe!"

Hikari quickly finished the rest of her farmwork before following the young girl to the mine district.

"Hey Hikari," said Owen as the two girls approached the blacksmith. A large collection of ore was in his arms. Hikari stared at them. That was a lot of ore. "I can't thank you enough for doing this."

"No problem," said Hikari quickly.

The reason why Ramsey needed help was because Owen wanted to go to the mainland for a day. Hiakri didn't know why but she did know it was a personal family matter or something like that.

"I'll be back by tonight at the latest," said Owen, "So don't worry about having to help tomorrow."

"Okay," said Hikari. "You can count on me."

"And me!" cried Chloe running ahead to open the door for her cousin.

Owen chuckled and walked in with the ore. Hikari followed right between them. Ramsey was working on a hammer when the three of them came in. The room was already hot from the forging fire. Great. It wasn't even the hottest part of the day yet and already Hiakri was beginning to regret agreeing to help.

"I really appreciate you doing this," said Owen putting the ore down on the table. He scratched the back of his head. "You know, maybe…you know…"

Hikari shook her head knowing what was coming next. "I'm sorry but I'm interested in you that way."

"No, no!" said Owen quickly. He was beginning to turn a shade of red that matched his hair. "As a thank you. Lunch out? We could even bring Chloe along so it won't be considered a date."

Ramsey made a noise in the back of the room. Owen glared at him.

"I'll think about it," replied Hikari knowing she would have to tread on careful grounds.

"That's all I ask," Owen hugged Chloe and said goodbye to his grandfather before heading out.

As soon as Owen was gone Ramsey put Hikari straight to work. She had take care of the customers that came in, help Ramsey with the tool creation as well as assist Chloe in bringing in more ore from the mines. However, as much work as it was Hikari had a lot of fun. It had been a long time when she actually worked together with others to get a job done. Usually it was just her and her farm.

"You worked hard today," Ramsey said as he walked over to Hikari who was writing the tool orders down on slips of paper to give to Ramsey.

"Thanks," replied the young woman. Her brown eyes shone with happiness.

"Here."

Hikari stared at the money Ramsey had held out to her. She shook her head. "I couldn't."

"Please," said Ramsey. He lifted her hand and put the money in it. "You worked your hardest." The old man smiled. "And you were able to keep up with Chloe. A major accomplishment."

Hikari turned to the young girl sleeping on a couch in the living area. It wasn't as if she wanted to. Not wanting to seem rude she accepted the money and thanked Ramsey before stepping outside. As soon as she did, her heart rose to her throat.

The sun.

The sun was almost fully set in the sky. She would have no time to run back home before the transformation took place. However she couldn't wait here! Making a split second decision she broke into a run.

She passed the general store and turned, heading up the path to the goddess spring. Probably one of the few places she could stay without getting caught. No one went there for it was thought to be haunted by the spirit of a dead goddess or something like that. Hikari couldn't remember the exact story at the moment.

Entering the relic like area she walked to the dead tree at the other end. The older people on the island spoke of a time when the tree was in full bloom. The leaves were said to be a brilliant green and the sweet scent of the flowers could calm down any temper.

Hikari sat down at the base of the dying tree her bare feet spread out in front of her. She had made it into the area before the sun set though. Unfortunately she was stuck waiting here for a couple of hours until the residents of the Garmon Mine District fell asleep so she could sneak back home.

She sat there, under the dead tree looking up at the stars for what felt like forever. It was tranquil and quiet, nothing like her regular life. She was always so worried that someone would find out her secret. She kept people away from her heart as much as possible.

Her eyes were beginning to close when a snap woke her up instantly. She slowly got up, now on full alert. Her instincts were screaming at her to run. She didn't know why. Why did she have to run?

Hikari realized why when the _thing_ came out of the shadows of the forest. It was a shadow. Just a shadow with piercing red eyes. A lump rose in her throat. It looked like a smaller version of the thing from the Watery Cave. Her legs gave way and she fell to the ground.

The shadow being got closer and closer. Hikari scrambled backwards but her back hit the trunk of the tree. A sense of déjà vu overcame her but unlike last time she didn't think this one would be scared off by her form.

The shadow being made a low buzzing sound and a large claw-like hand came out of the main body. It slowly made its way towards her. It knew as well as she did that she was doomed. She couldn't do anything to stop it from hurting her or do whatever.

The claw came closer and closer but it never reached. A sharp howl tore the air and the shadow being turned to the sound. A blur came out nowhere and latched itself onto the shadow being.

Hikari scrambled to her feet and backed away. Was that a wolf on the thing's back? In the moonlight she could see the dark red fur of the wolf. It was tearing at the shadow being with large pointed fangs.

It growled and kicked off with its back legs and landed on the ground a foot away from where Hikari was standing. The shadow being seemed to be injured as black goo seeped out of the place where the wolf had bit it. The wolf released a warning growl and the shadow being turned and disappeared in the shadows.

The wolf relaxed and turned its attention to Hikari The first thing she noticed was its eyes was a beautiful dark blue that contrasted the dark red fur. She also saw that the wolf was not a normal wolf at all. The front paws were shaped more like human hands than paws only covered with red fur and long claws. The back paws were the same only they looked like human feet. The front legs-arms? - even looked longer than the back giving it a more ape-like appearance.

It took a step towards Hikari. She stifled a scream and backed away slowly. The wolf hesitated and then drew up fully onto its back legs. She bit her lip. What was it going to do with her? Was it friend or foe? Did it want to kill her?

The wolf shuddered and the fur began to recede, the tail shrinking, the face changing. Hikari's eyes widen in shock as the wolf took on a form of a human being. A human being that she knew.

"Owen," she whispered.


	4. The Talk With Owen

**Chapter 4. And I thank you Winter Oak for reviewing and giving my feedback!**

Hikari's mind had trouble comprehending what was in front of her. She rubbed her eyes with a hand. Nope. Owen was still there. Thankfully he had clothes on. She'd seen and read some werewolf things where they lost their clothes. Wait. Why was she thinking this? Owen couldn't be a werewolf!

"Are you okay?" asked Owen. He slowly stepped towards her, his palms out in front of him to show that he was unarmed. That didn't make Hikari feel any safer. He could turn into a wolf for crying out loud!

"What are you?" asked Hikari, backing up another step. "How can you turn into that?"

Owen seemed to want to say something but he didn't. Instead he walked over to the base of the dying tree and sat down. He patted the ground next to him. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you, I promise."

Hikari wanted to run in the opposite direction but her feet betrayed her and took her over to the dying tree to sit down next to him. She arranged her dress in a way so it covered her legs and then checked to make sure her annoying long hair wouldn't bother her as she positioned it around her. She had tried to cut it in the past but it didn't work. No scissors could cut that hair of hers. She turned her head to see what Owen was doing and she leaned back when she saw he was staring at her.

"You're someone on the island aren't you?"

Hikari's eyes widen and she looked away. How to answer that?

"Don't worry," replied Owen. "A lot of people on this island have secrets that they do not want others to know. If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you mine."

"You don't have to Owen," said Hikari quickly. She looked down at her lap. The shimmery blue dress reflected the moonlight weird. Was there something in the fabric to make it act like that?

"So, you are from the island."

Hikari stiffened. She had called Owen by name without realizing it. Darn. She shut her eyes tight.

"Don't worry," Owen laughed. "I figured as much. You smell like the island. Only the islanders smell like that."

"Could you tell more from my scent?" asked Hikari trying to make it sound like she was just curious.

"No," replied Owen. "I couldn't recognize it."

"Oh," said Hikari. Inwardly she breathed a sigh in relief. Owen didn't know who she was. Good.

"Did you have any idea what that thing was that attacked you?" asked Owen.

Hikari shook her head. "No." She thought it would be better to not mention the incident in the Watery Cave. "Do you?"

Owen shook his head. "No. It tasted nasty though," he made a face at the thought. "It was like I was eating darkness itself if that makes any sense."

It didn't make much sense to Hikari. She didn't even understand why this thing was after her to begin with. She pulled her legs close and hugged her knees. Why did this have to happen to her? She was finally getting used to her new life on the island and this had to happen. And what about Owen. "Ummm," she spoke. "You being a werewolf. Is it…uh, normal on this island?"

Owen laughed. "Not really. As far as I know my family is the only werewolf pack. And you are one of the few people on the island that knows that, whoever you are."

"Oh," said Hikari. "And you don't mind me asking if…"

Owen laughed. "No. I was not bitten. Werewolves are usually born not made. In fact it has been hundreds of years since that has been practiced. I don't even think anyone really knows how to do it anymore since it involves rituals and such."

"Oh," repeated Hikari. What else could she say? Owen was a werewolf. "What about Chloe and Ramsey? Are they?"

"Yup," confirmed Owen. "Grandpa hasn't transformed in years after leaving the pack to move here but he probably still can. Chloe is still too young but she should be able to do so soon."

Hikari couldn't believe it. All this time she had been conversing with werewolves and she didn't know it. "What about the other islanders? Are there are supernatural things?"

Owen shrugged. "Don't know. The island is a known refugee for supernatural beings if they want to get away from the bustle of the human world. However humans also come here and no one asks what anyone else is. It's rude."

Hikari tightened her fists. Did this mean there were more people like Owen out there? Could there be fairies, vampires and other beings lurking around Castanet that she didn't know about?

Wait. Why was she judging everyone? Look at herself! At night she turned into someone else. She wouldn't want other people to find out her secret.

"So?" asked Owen. "Are you going to tell me a bit about yourself?"

Hikari flinched. She had to give Owen something for telling her about his werewolf family. "Ever since I was a baby this happened," she said slowly. "At night I turned into this person. I don't know how or why but…" She buried her head into her knees.

She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder and she looked up at Owen. "Don't beat yourself over it," he said.

Anything else Owen said after that was lost to her. In the distance she could see the sky was beginning to get lighter in color. Oh no. It was almost morning. "Sorry," said Hikari as she scrambled to her feet.

"Wait!" cried Owen but Hikari was already running into the forest. She had to get away before the sun appeared on the horizon. Owen could not see her transform!

Her bare feet slapped the ground as she ran, her long fingers holding up her dress so she wouldn't trip. Behind her she could hear Owen tearing through the undergrowth after her.

"Don't follow me!" she screeched as she picked up her pace. The low branches clung to her hair trying to stop her but nothing could hold her back. She had to get back. She had to!

"Wait!" came Owen's voice from behind her. "Hikari! Wait!"

Hikari stopped and whirled around to face Owen who also stopped. He was breathing heavily but he looked at her steadily. "I was right," he said. "You're Hikari aren't you?"

Linelinline

The young woman almost dropped the flask she had been holding.

The robed man was sitting at her table, arms crossed with a thoughtful expression on his face.

She still couldn't believe what he had just said. She carefully got down the stool before her cauldron and put the flash down before stepping over to where the man was. "What you said, it's true right? You aren't lying right?"

The man looked up at her like she was stupid and she had the urge to rip his little braid off. "Of course I am not," he said slowly. "I saw her ride away."

"We have to tell him!" exclaimed the woman. She ran to get her traveling potion but he stopped her with a word.

"Don't. I think we should wait longer before we do."

The woman whipped around her white hair almost slapping her face. "What are you talking about!? We have to tell him! It's been twenty years since that battle. Gale…"

Gale shook his head. "Vivi. We need to make sure this isn't a trap. We have to make sure it's really her."

Vivi bit her lip and looked away. "Fine."

"You know I am right," said Gale. "Remember how upset he was after she disappeared? The island was almost wiped out! If it wasn't for her last wish for the island to be alive then this island wouldn't be here today. We need to wait and make sure."

"I know that," said Vivi. She gritted her teeth. Gale never let her do anything! "This island is my home too. I owe a lot to her."

"Good," Gale got up. "I'll follow her with my crystal ball. I'll be back soon to give you a report."

Vivi turned her back to Gale and waited she heard the sound of her door being closed before turning around. "Like heck, I'm going to wait around," she said before walking to her cupboard and throwing the wooden doors open.

Inside, lined on the many shelves were many different potion bottles in many different shapes and sizes. The liquid in every one of them was as varied as the bottles themselves. She grabbed a bunch and stuffed them in a small bag. She was going to see this girl. To confirm with her own eyes that this was who they were looking for.


	5. Acceptence

**Chapter 5 of Hikari's story!**

"No I'm not!" protested Hikari. Even in her own ears she knew that was lame. She knew Owen knew it as well. She lifted up her hand to push her hair back and noticed how short it was now. A quick glance down confirmed it. She had transformed back. Now Owen had real confirmation about her. She dropped her hands to her side and looked up at Owen.

Hikari didn't know how it happened but Owen had somehow walked up to her, put his arms around her and pulled her close without her really noticing. Was that another werewolf thing? Fast speed? Wait. She was in Owen's arms. "Owen!" she cried. "Let me go!"

"No," said Owen as he continued the hug. His arms tightened around her. "Look. Relax. This isn't a romantic hug in anyway. You just looked like you need a hug."

Hikari stopped struggling when Owen said it. He was right about the hug. There was nothing romantic about it. It was just a hug for comfort. Something she had desperately needed for a long time but didn't know it.

"Thanks Owen," she said when Owen finally released her.

"Don't worry about it," replied Owen as he stepped back to get out of her personal space. He scratched the back of his head with a muscular arm. "So…want to go grab some breakfast together? It is morning already. My treat since I did kinda lie to you."

"Huh?"

"I knew it was you from your scent. Plus," he shrugged, "You're the only islander who is never around at night. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

Hikari flinched. She hadn't thought of it like that. That made perfect sense.

"Anyway, breakfast?"

"Breakfast is fine by me," she said. A rare genuine smile lit up her face as the two left the forest and entered Garmon Mine District. She felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulder. She never realized how much she relied on her parents before. At home she knew if anything happened while she was that other person they would protect her. Here she had no one. That was not the case anymore. Owen knew. And she knew him well enough to know he wasn't the type to tell a secret as big as hers. Plus he had his own to worry about.

"So that's what your real smile looks like," said Owen as they climbed into the mine cart.

"Huh?" asked Hikari as she got in behind him.

She never got to hear the answer though for Owen had released the mine cart and they were now zooming towards Harmonica Town.

Linelineline

Vivi jumped off her broom and landed gracefully on the top of the lighthouse. From where she was she could see Harmonica Town spread out before her like a dollhouse with furniture. She straightened her outfit before carefully putting her broom down in a way so it wouldn't roll off the roof. She would not have a repeat incident of a hundred years ago.

"Stupid Gale," she murmured to herself as she settled on the roof. "He didn't have to throw me off this thing so hard. Grrr!" She slapped her cheeks to push herself back into current time. No time to be planning revenge on the wizard even though he did deserve it and worse.

Vivi's orange eyes scanned the early crowd of people in the town. She spotted Hamilton outside the mayor's office. He was talking to Gill about something or other. Vivi didn't care about them so she moved her eyes. "HEY!" she cried loudly, scrambling to her feet. There she was! She was coming from the church with a guy-Owen she thought. _"Werewolf,"_ she realized as she read Owen's aura.

Unlike Owen's red aura, the girl's aura was beautiful. It was a beautiful green. Almost the exact same one as the Harvest Goddess but the color was slightly off. It was like some other color was trying to blend in with the Harvest Goddess one. What did that mean? Plus what was with the girl? She herself didn't have the same presence the Harvest Goddess had.

Vivi's original place was to run up to her and talk about old times but it didn't seem like that was the case. Gale was right. There was something wrong here. She picked up her broom and got on it. Well he did tell her not to confront her. He didn't say anything about watching her.

Linelineline

Hikari and Owen walked into the Brass Bar. Because it was summer many people visited from the mainland and the bar had to be open in the morning for the inn couldn't handle the huge amount of people. Kathy was running around with breakfast and even Selena was helping out with the serving.

"Come on," Owen grabbed Hikari's arm and began leading her through the crowd of people. Owen expertly weaved through them like he had done it plenty of times before which he probably did since Hikari heard from Kathy that he visited often.

They had to squeeze past a table with a young pink haired woman talking about how much she loved her chickens to her friends before they could reach an empty table. Owen sat down at one end and Hikari sat at the other.

"It's really crowded today," commented Owen.

"Yes," agreed Hikari as she looked around the room. It was still very early but people were already up. Some were here on vacation, others on business. For some reason her eyes settled to the corner table. The one that light from the windows never hit. Sitting at that table was a young man with silver hair. His outfit was also silver but with leopard print. He seemed to sense Hikari's staring cause he looked up with bright beautiful blue eyes.

Hikari tore her eyes away from his and focused on Owen who had waved Kathy over.

"Hey guys," said the young blonde woman. Even though she had been running around she didn't looked out of breath. She still looked great. "What can I get you? And can I have the order fast?"

"Of course," replied Owen as he ordered.

Hikari was about to say hers when she heard Owen's name being called. Chloe jumped into her cousin's lap. Tears streamed down her face.

"Chloe?" asked Owen. "What's wrong?"

"It's Grandpa," she sniffed as she rubbed her eyes. "He…I was in my room and I heard a noise and I went to see what it was and grandpa. He was…" She trailed off and looked up at Kathy.

"It's fine," replied Owen. "She knows."

Hikari looked up at Kathy in surprise. Kathy did the same to Hikari. How did Kathy know about the werewolf thing?

"Let's go to the back," suggested Kathy. She called for Chase to come out and help before she lead them to the door in the back which lead to the private home area. When they were safely inside Owen softly pushed Chloe to continue.

"Grandpa was half-transformed," said Chloe through her unshed tears. "He was fighting this huge shadow thing. But he wasn't able to hold it off and it took him away!" She burst into a fresh set of tears. "I wanna transform! I wanted to help him!"

Hikari and Owen locked gazes. They knew exactly what this thing was.


	6. Within the Tunnels

**Chapter 6.**

"What's going on here?" asked Kathy. She was looking back and forth between Owen and Hikari. "The two of you know something about this shadow thing don't you?"

Owen shot Hikari a questioning look as he bent down to comfort Chloe. He wanted her to take charge. It would be her choice of how much to tell Kathy.

"The shadow-thing attacked us last night," explained Hikari. "Owen transformed and took care of it."

A flicker of emotion crossed Kathy's face but it was gone so fast that Hikari thought she imagined it. "Can you follow a scent of it?" asked Kathy.

"Yeah," said Owen as he stroked Chloe's head. "Don't worry. I'll go save Grandpa."

The little girl nodded slowly while her tears still continued to fall. She sniffed. "Okay… I believe in you Owen." She rubbed her eyes with the back of a hand and looked up at her cousin bravely. "I'll stay here so I won't get in your way."

"Good girl," replied Owen. He patted her on the head and got up. "I'm going to head over there right now."

"I'll go with you," said Hikari quickly. These shadow things could be her fault as they hadn't appeared until after the incident in the Watery Cave. Maybe whatever was going on at the moment was her fault. She tightened her fists. She didn't know what she could do but she knew she had to try. Otherwise she felt as if she would go crazy. And thankfully, she had told Owen about the incident on their way to the Brass Bar so he understood why she wanted to come along.

"Wait," spoke Kathy before the two could leave.

"Kathy," began Owen.

Kathy shook her head. "Just give me a moment." Before anyone could complain she had run out of the main room and into, what Hikari thought, was her bedroom. The young woman was out a second later with a black sword sheath in hand. "I'm going with you."

Hikari's eyes widen. Wait. Kathy knew how to fight?

"Kathy. It's dangerous," protested Owen. "The one shadow creature that I fought, I could tell it was weakened by something. This one-"

"Owen," began Kathy. Her green eyes were no longer caring but serious and set on a goal. "My dad has not been home since last night. He is not one to be taken lightly. Only something that he's never seen before could take him off guard."

Owen didn't protest any further. Instead he asked, "You can't get out the front door with that sword."

Kathy rolled her eyes and walked over to the wall. After feeling around a bit she found what she was looking for and pushed. To Hikari's surprise a hole in the floor opened up to reveal a set of stone stairs carved in stone.

"Ah," said Owen. "I forgot you would have a path into the tunnels. Anyway. Come on Hikari. Let's go."

Hikari really wanted to ask what the tunnels were but Owen and Kathy would not be distracted from their goal. "Right."

Hikari followed Owen and Kathy down the stone steps. It led to a long stone tunnel. Lit torches hung every couple of feet along the walls. Owen explained that they were fueled by magic so they would never go out. Hikari had already seen enough weirdness that a little magic like this she accepted with ease.

"Where do these tunnels go?" asked Hikari as they passed many side tunnels branching off from the one they were on.

"All over Castanet," replied Kathy. "It's more for the magical beings on the island than anything else."

"Oh," Hikari had a thought. "Wait. Does that mean that you Kathy are a magical creature like Owen too?"

"I'm not a werewolf if that's what you're thinking," laughed the young woman before becoming serious again. She paused in front of a side tunnel and after some thought told Owen and Hikari to follow her down it.

"Kathy's family is considered to be one of the guardian families," said Owen quietly as he slowed down until he was walking next to Hikari. Even though they were walking briskly in whatever direction they were going, Owen still seemed to be calm and collected.

"Guardian families?" asked Hikari.

She never got her answer for Kathy had stopped on the path ahead of them. Owen growled from next to Hikari. "Darn," spat Kathy. "How did that get into the tunnels?"

Hikari was confused to what they were talking about. She looked back and forth between Owen and Kathy but none offered an explanation. She opened her mouth to speak but after the first sound left her mouth Kathy hissed for her to be quiet.

The blonde woman turned and quickly walked back to Owen and Hikari. "Come on. We need to get above ground before that thing catches up to us. Fighting down here is not in our best interest."

"Where are we closest to?" asked Owen. His blue eyes kept shifting up to the path ahead of them like whatever they could sense would come at any second.

"The graveyard," replied Kathy grimly. "I thought going a round-about route would work in our best interest but…"

"That should be fine. No one usually goes there."

Kathy winced and looked back again. It was like she knew what was going to happen. Hikari wished she did. She didn't even understand what was going on at the moment! "Fine then." Her green eyes shifted to Hikari. "Can you run fast?"

"Huh?"

Owen placed one arm on her shoulder and yanked Hikari backwards. She hit a wall, her head banged against the stone painfully. Clearing the spots from her eyes she looked up at see a huge red-furred wolf where Owen had stood. Kathy was right next to him. She was drawing the sword out of the sheath. From the way the blade was shaped, Hikari guessed it was a katana, a sword with one flat side.

Her eyes shifted to what they were facing. Her stomach dropped. A huge shadow creature stood there. It was so big and large that it almost took up the whole width of the tunnel. It was so black that Hikari thought she would forget what light was by looking at it.

"Give me back my dad!" yelled Kathy as she swung her katana against the shadow creature.

Linelineline

Gale opened his eyes and wobbled his way over to a chair and sat down. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a hand and thought about what he had just witnessed.

A battle was taking place in the tunnels.

The two called Owen and Kathy fighting it.

The girl named Hikari.

What was with the girl? Gale's readings showed that she was the one. She was the Harvest Goddess. But there was something wrong. It was as if she was but wasn't the Harvest Goddess at the same time. How could that be?

Gale leaned against his chair. If his reading was correct…if his try at divination was correct…He shook his head. No. That could not be thought. It was too horrible to think of. Knowing that just sitting here was worse than doing anything; he got up and returned to the crystal ball. It was burden he and Vivi both shared. He had to watch what would happen next.


	7. The Screams of the Shadows

**Chapter 7.**

Kathy's blade smashed into the shadow's body. With all of her might she cut through one of its appendages before she retreated. Owen was by her side in wolf form. He snarled and lunged at the shadow thing, burying his teeth into the shadow's skin.

Hikari just sat silently in the corner as the two fought the shadow with everything they had. What could she do? She tightened her fists. She was nothing like them. She had no powers like they did. Well she did have the power to turn into someone else but that power only worked at night. That was hours away from now.

Kathy screamed as the shadow creature's tendril wrapped around her arm. Hikari's heart felt like it was going to break for her friend. Owen roared and pounced onto the tendril, his long claws ripping it away from the body. Kathy backed up a step and the tendril fell to the ground. The skin that the tendril had touched was burned.

"Annoying little creature," said Kathy as she shifted her sword to her other hand. "Burns people it touches. Humans I'm assuming since Owen didn't get hurt."

"Are you okay?" Hikari got up to help Kathy but the blonde woman just shook her head and gestured for Hikari to stay back.

"Don't worry," she said over the battle cries of Owen. "I'm fine. It just surprised me. I didn't expect something like a shadow to have the ability to burn." She shifted the katana to a different handgrip and looked over her shoulder to Hikari. "Plus there has to be a reason why Owen let you come along. You must be someone worth protecting." When Kathy said it, there was a look in her eyes. Like she was regretting something. However it was gone before Hkari could really register it.

"Owen," called Kathy. "Back up and let me at the thing!" The katana blade began to glow brighter in the torchlight.

Owen growled in response and tore his teeth through the shadow one last time before jumping away to allow Kathy to do whatever she wanted to.

"This is for my dad!" she screamed as she raced towards the shadow at a speed that seemed to rival the fastest horse. The blade glinted in the air as she brought it down on the shadow, cutting it neatly in half. The pieces of the shadow screamed in rage and anger.

Hikari clamped her hands over her ears. The sound was so horrible. It was filled with so much pain and anger. She could hardly stand it. Images flashed through her mind. A young man with a woman. The same man holding a child. The images kept flashing of this man's life. She watched him grow old in her mind until the final image she saw was his gravestone.

It was only then she realized that the screaming had stopped and Kathy was calling her name. "Hikari! Hikari!"

"Wha?" whispered Hikari. She realized she was crouched on the floor. Kathy's arm was around her shoulder. "What happened?"

"You suddenly collapsed," replied Owen. He was standing a few feet away, now back in human form. "You were clutching your ears like you were trying to block out something."

"You didn't hear it?" she asked.

"Hear what?"

"The sounds of that shadow screaming," replied Hikari. "I saw someone's life flash before…" She trailed off as she realized that Kathy and Owen were staring at her oddly.

"We didn't hear anything," said Kathy. "The shadow just vanished after I killed it."

Hikari blinked. What was going on? "Never mind," she said quickly as she got to her feet. "Let's go."

Kathy stared at Hikari for a few moments before taking off down the tunnel again. Owen waited until Hikari was walking next to him before following. They were moving quickly now. They had seen what the shadow creatures could do. Fear for Hayden and Ramsey ran between the small group.

"Umm," spoke Hikari to Owen. "What's a guardian family?"

"Guardian families are, like the name states, families that protect." Owen grabbed Hikari's arm and pulled her down a tiny side path that she hadn't seen before. A couple feet ahead she could see Kathy's ponytail bobbing around. She must have turned quickly because Hikari hadn't seen her make it. "They protect the nonhuman creatures on the island from harm from humans and protect humans from nonhumans."

"Wow," said Hikari.

"And Kathy's amazing," said Owen as they turned into another tunnel, this one looked like it was a main one for the floor was covered in footprints. "She's the only active guardian at the moment. The rest of the families are gone."

"What about Hayden?"

Owen shook his head. "He married into the family."

Hikari was even more impressed with Kathy. She protected the island and helped her father run the inn. And all this time Hikari didn't know it. Kathy always seemed to be full of energy. What did she run on?

"We're here," said Kathy. She was waiting for them before a stone door. "These steps will take us to the area above the blacksmith.

"We went uphill?" Hikari asked in surprise. It didn't feel like it. It was like she was walking level this whole time.

"Welcome to the beauty of the tunnels," replied Kathy. She pushed open the door and peeked outside. "There's no one there." She stepped back to let Owen go first before following him.

When Hikari stepped outside, the light from the sun almost blinded her. It was weird to be out in sunlight again after being in darkness for so long. The Garmon Mine District looked normal. It didn't look like there was danger about. She took another step and the door in the cliffside slammed shut behind her. It blended perfectly into the rocks and Hikari probably would never be able to find it without help.

She hurried down the path to join Owen and Kathy who had went inside the blacksmith however before she got there she bumped into Gill. "Gill!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Does it matter?" said the mayor's son. "I can go wherever I please."

"I was just saying that you are never usually around here," replied Hikari. Gill seemed to be very annoyed.

"Well I cam here for a serious matter. Now if you will excuse me." Gill walked around Hikari. She watched as he walked into the mine. Now that was weird. Gill didn't look like the mining type.

"Hikari!" Owen ran out of the blacksmith shop and ran into the forest. Kathy was right behind him. "He caught the scent," she explained quickly. "Come on."

"Right," said Hikari as she ran after Kathy and Owen. In the back of her mind she wondered if when they killed this shadow creature, would the screams come back again? Well it wasn't really the time to think about that. First they had to save Hayden and Ramsey.


	8. The Light Within the Beings

**Chapter 8. This chapter feels really lame to me…**

Hikari followed Kathy and Owen into the forest. Owen was on the ground, sniffing like there was no tomorrow. It was actually quite funny to watch since he was in human form. Of course this was no laughing matter. Hayden and Ramsey have been captured by the shadow beings.

"The scent is fading fast," informed Owen. "Not really surprised since these things are not exactly human."

"Can you still follow it?" asked Kathy.

"I should be able to if we move fast enough."

Hikari had to run to keep up with Kathy and Owen. They were moving faster than she could and it didn't seem like they were even running at full speed either. Hikari had a feeling she would never be able to catch up to them like this. They were just too fast.

"You guys go ahead!" she called out to them before stopping to catch her breath.

"We'll see you later then!" called Kathy before they disappeared in the thick line of trees.

Once Hikari caught her breath she was now ready to continue on. Of course now she had a problem. Which way did they go? Sure she knew the general direction they had gone to but…

"I should have thought of this before," sighed Hikari. She picked a random direction and began walking through the forest. The birds were silent and that freaked her out a bit. Didn't that signal that something was wrong?

"OW!"

Hikari jumped and whirled around to face the sound of whatever that was. She blinked. Huh? Who was that?

In a tree was a young woman wearing a very odd black outfit. Her silverish hair was pretty long, maybe about Kathy's hair length, and seemed to curl backwards. She was holding a broom in one hand and was rubbing her head with the other. "Stupid tree," she murmured. "Where did you come from!"

"Uh…"

The woman finally noticed Hikari and her eyes widen. "Oh Goddess…" She got up and coughed. "You didn't see me!" she said quickly. "I don't exist! I am a figment of your imagination!"

"Uhhhh," Hikari didn't know what else to say. What was with her? Where did she come from anyway?

"Good," said the woman. "Now that I am a figment in your imagination, I shall be going now." She mounted the broom and right before Hikari's eyes, the broom began to hover with the woman on it. "And your friends are that way!" she pointed in a direction before flying away on the broom.

The whole exchange happened in only maybe a minute but it was the weirdest thing that happened to Hikari yet. "Was that a witch?" she asked herself, "There was the broom…" She shook her head. No time to be wondering about that. Taking the witch's advice, she walked in the direction she had pointed and well, she stumbled upon Kathy and Owen in a battle against another shadow creature.

Owen was in wolf form and he was tearing at the shadow's body with teeth and claws. Kathy on the other hand was swinging her sword and cutting off the many tendrils that branched off the main blob body.

"Give me back my dad!" cried Kathy as she slashed another tendril off.

Hikari hated the fact that she was just standing here and doing nothing. She was about to go find a weapon when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her full attention to whatever it was, she saw it was some kind of glowing light in the blob's body. What was that?

"Hikari?" barked Owen in surprise.

Hikari turned away from the light. "There's something shining inside that shadow thing!" she cried.

"What are you talking about?" asked Kathy. She ducked under a tendril before slicing it off. "I don't see anything. Owen?"

"Nope," he growled before launching himself at the shadow blob again. His teeth fastened around a good chunk and he tore off a piece of the body.

"But it's there!" protested Hikari. "It's shining really brightly. I think…" She squinted. It looked like someone was standing in the light itself. She gasped. "It's Hayden and a white wolf. I think Hayden and Ramsey are in there!"

"What in the world are you talking about!" cried Kathy. She removed another tendril. "I don't see anything."

"Where exactly?" growled Owen. He jumped back until he was right next to Hikari so he could see it from her view. She complied and pointed. "Fine then," said Owen. He growled and launched himself at the spot. His claws tore at the light that apparently only Hikari could see.

Immediately the screams echoed through the air and Hikari clamped her hands over her ears. Not again! Like before, images flashed through her mind. This time it was a young woman. The young woman with a man. The young woman talking to a close friend. The young woman dancing in a park.

As fast as it came, it was over. Hikari opened her eyes and she slowly got up from the crouch position she was in. That one seemed to take place faster than the previous one did. That was weird. Ahead of her she saw Kathy speaking Hayden and Owen talking to Ramsey.

"Thank you Hikari!" cried Kathy. She ran over and hugged the brunette. "I don't know what you did, but it looked like you saw that shadow's weak spot."

"I don't know either," replied Hikari weakly before she blacked out.

Linelineline

"That was not the smartest thing to do," said Gale as Vivi entered his home. He was sitting at his desk and thinking of what was to come. He had tried divinating the future but nothing had come up. It was all uncertain at this time.

"Oh shut up!" snapped Vivi. She stormed over to the crystal ball and stared down at it. "At least I helped her out a bit."

"It's still too early," replied Gale. He picked up one of his many books and began to flip through it. "Hikari used basic powers without realizing it and now she's knocked out. Channeling the Harvest Goddess in that form must take its toll on the human body."

Vivi crossed her arms angrily and Gale could feel her stare on the back of his head. "Gale," she said, "I know you want to wait but sitting here won't do anything. The shadow creatures are back. People are going to get hurt. We have to do something."

"That we will," replied Gale. "Just not yet. Only a little bit longer Vivi. Can you please do that?"

Vivi didn't say anything. She just picked up her broom and walked to the door. "I cannot promise that Gale," she said before stepping outside.

Gale massaged his forehead. Vivi was tiresome sometimes but he did understand where she was coming from. Alright then. If Vivi wanted something done then he will do something as well. He got up and was about to gather his supplies when there was a knock on the door. Curious to who it was, he went over and opened it. "Oh," he said to the visitor in surprise. "What do you want?"

"Your life," replied the visitor before Gale felt powerful magic surround him.


	9. More Fantasy Creatures

**Chapter 9.**

Hikari was floating in darkness. All around her was this empty darkness. It pushed against her and comforted her at the same time. In the distance, the fair distance that she knew she could not reach she saw a light. A dim light that was barely holding on but it was there. For some strange reason she knew it was waiting for her. Waiting until she was ready to receive it. She stretched out her hand but it wouldn't come near her.

_"Not yet."_

The gentle voice flowed around her. A sweet voice. A voice that seemed so familiar to her.

_"Go back. It is not time for you to come to see me."_

Hikari felt something wrap around her waist and pull her back. "NO!" she cried as she struggled to get towards the light. Her hand stretched as far as it would go but she could nowhere close to the light as she was pulled back and out of the darkness.

"Good. You're awake," spoke Owen as Hikari opened her eyes. He walked out of the kitchen and handed Hikari a cup of herbal tea after she had sat up.

"I'm in my house," she commented in surprise.

Owen nodded. "After you collapsed I took you back here. I thought it would be for the best. Kathy didn't want to leave you alone though but I somehow was able to convince her to leave you with me."

"Oh?" said Hikari. She looked down and noticed the blue-green hair around her. "Oh," she said again. That explained that.

"Although it's quite surprising," said Owen. "I mean, one second you are you and the next moment you are this person."

Hikari cracked a smile. "Yeah. But I'm used to this. It doesn't bother me much anymore." She sipped at the tea. "Thanks Owen."

"No problem," he replied. He got and headed for the door. "I should get going now though. Got tell everyone you're okay."

"What about Ramsey and Hayden? Are they okay?"

"Thanks to you," Owen shot Hikari a grateful smile. "If you weren't there, Kathy and I probably wouldn't have been able to kill that thing."

Hikari shook her head. "I didn't do anything. I just told you where to attack."

"That was more than enough to help us," replied Owen. He shook his head. "Sorry. I shouldn't lay all this on you when you just recovered."

"It's fine," replied Hikari.

Owen nodded and left.

Hikari leaned against the backboard of her bed. Wow. So much has happened in such a short period of time. She found out that the island was filled with magical beings like her, both good and bad. And she had found a friend she could confide her secret in. She was happy. Someone knew her secret and he would keep it for her.

That made her think of Kathy. She felt bad that she was keeping a secret from her. Plus would this draw tension between her and Owen? She didn't want her friend to be jealous of her. Hmmm, maybe she should tell Kathy the secret as well?

Hikari suddenly perked up. Oh goddess. Her animals! She forgot to take care of her animals! She jumped out of bed and ran outside to tend to her farm.

The moonlight shone down from overhead as she went to her field. Noticing that a couple plants were wilting she crouched down and touched the soil. After a few seconds of concentrating she could feel power go from her hands to the soil itself. When she looked up the plants were now healthy. At least this was one power she knew she had control over.

After she was done tending to the plants she hurried inside to check on her animals. All were healthy and well, thank the goddess. When she was satisfied that they had enough food she went back outside. It was then that she heard a strange noise. At first she wanted to just ignore it for she knew her sense of hearing was much stronger than normal but still. There was something about it that chilled her.

Knowing that it would bug her until she found out what it was, she picked up the hem of her dress and hurried towards the sound. The closer she got to the river the more apprehensive she was getting. She swallowed slowly and continued on. Her thoughts ran to Kathy and Owen. They were strong. They did anything they could to protect the people they cared about. She had to be like them!

Once she reached the river's edge though she wished she didn't come here at all. Two figures were on the other side of the river bank. It was hard to see but it looked like one was hunched over the other. A blush crept up on Hikari. Oh. It was one of _those _moments. Feeling horrible for this she turned to leave but before she could, a patch of moonlight shone on the figures and all thoughts of leaving left her.

It was the man from the Brass Bar. The silver-haired one with blue eyes that had watched her. He was hunched over Anissa but they were not doing anything Hikari thought they were doing. The man was on Anissa's neck and when he lifted his head she saw the glint of fangs and blood smeared around his face.

He looked at Hikari for a few moments, who just stood there in shock. Vampire. Werewolves, witches and vampires. What was next? He kept his blue eyes on Hikari as he slowly lowered a limp Anissa to the ground. He gently placed her down, his eyes never leaving Hikari. When he was done he took a step back and bowed to her before he ran off and melted into the darkness.

It was then that Hikari finally had control over herself. "Anissa!" she screamed as she ran to the bridge to get to the other side and her friend.


	10. A Meeting With a Vampire

**Sorry for the wait. College around the corner… Here is chapter 10.**

Hikari crouched next to her friend and lifted her up. Anissa's head lolled back and Hikari feared she was dead. It was only when she saw Anissa's chest rise and fall did she relax a bit. So Anissa was still alive. Thank the goddess for that.

The question was how did vampirism work?

Was Anissa already a vampire or did it work differently? She had seen on TV that sometimes rituals needed to be done to turn someone into a vampire. Was this one of those situations? Or was she already a vampire or?

Hikari shook her head. What was she doing? She couldn't just sit around here. Anissa needed help! But where could she go? She didn't know if Jin knew about the crazy things that happened on the island and she wasn't really ready to tell Kathy about her transformations.

Anissa groaned and Hikari's eyes traveled down to her friend's face. Oh crap. She wasn't in her human form. If Anissa woke up and saw Hikari like this…

She carefully put Anissa down and backed away slowly until she was able to hide behind the bushes. She peeked over the top of the branches to see Anissa getting to her feet. She was looking around in confusion and rubbing her neck.

"Must have gotten an insect bite," Hikari heard her say before she began walking up the bank towards her house.

Hikari watched her go in confusion. How could Anissa not remember getting her blood sucked out of her? Or did vampires have the power to erase memories? Suddenly remembering the vampire she turned her head towards the forest. Something was telling her the vampire was in that direction. It probably was one of her many crazy powers in this form. So she picked up the hem of her dress and began running to the forest. She didn't know what she was going to do but that vampire was going to get a piece of her mind.

Linelinelineline

Vivi cast her senses out to make sure no one was near before landing in front of Gale's house. It was the middle of the night and the humans were mostly in bed or in their homes. Good. Attracting attention to herself out here would not be in her best interest at all. Gale would scold her for hours about it.

"Hey Gale!" she rapped her knuckles against the door and blinked in surprise as the door pushed open. That was weird. He usually shut it tight and she had to bang outside for what felt like forever before he would let her in.

"Gale?" the witch stepped into his home and stiffened.

Everything was a mess. The books were scattered all over the floor, the table and chair upside down. The telescope that Gale loved so much was in a broken mess, the glass all over the floor.

Vivi casted her senses out but she couldn't sense anyone nearby or Gale's crazy aura. Nothing. She couldn't sense him at all. She bit her lip and increased her range. Still nothing. The witch shut her eyes tight and used all of the power within her to cast her senses out. Where was Gale?

Nothing.

Exhausted, she leaned against the wall. It couldn't be. Lamonith was already powerful enough that he could move around? It was bad enough that his shadow beings were around but this?

"Why did this have to happen now?" she whispered. This was bad. The Harvest God was not here, the Harvest Goddess was in the body of a girl who didn't know about the Harvest Goddess and now Gale was missing.

A sound came from the corner of Gale's home. Something glass shattering against the floor. Vivi's head whipped to the direction of the sound and she yanked out some potion bottles just as she was attacked.

Linelineline

This was not a good idea.

Hikari stopped to the rest. This dress was ridiculous. She couldn't walk in it and it kept getting caught onto stuff and the wings on her back kept hitting things. Maybe she should have waited until daytime to find him. _"But vampires are burned by sunlight,"_ she reminded herself. _"So that wouldn't help. Plus at least I have powers in this form."_

She shook her head. Focus girl. That vampire could be anywhere by now. Even with her powerful hearing she wasn't sure what kind of sound she was looking for. The crickets were really loud and the sound of the owls landing on the branches were loud.

Hang on.

Hikari looked up into the trees and almost screamed. There he was. He was sitting in one of the trees looking down on her. His icy blue eyes seemed to glow like a cat's did. She backed up a step out of reflex.

"You followed me," he said.

Hikari gulped and tried to muster all the courage within her. What was she dong? She had to be strong! "Is Anissa a vampire?"

He blinked slowly and chuckled. "No. Been reading too many vampire novels or something?"

Hikari shook her head. "I don't believe you. Now come down here and talk to me or I'm telling Kathy. She's the protector of this island and-"

Her words died in her throat as the vampire was suddenly on the ground and leaning close to her. She could see every single one of his silver hairs and those long canine teeth looked even more dangerous. "That is not in your best interest." He lifted one of hands and Hikari noticed that the nails were unusually long. He stroked Hikari's neck with them. "You look quite different. You aren't human yourself. I wonder what your blood tastes like."

Hikari couldn't move. It felt like she was rooted to the spot. The vampire leaned forward until Hikari could feel his breath on her neck. She couldn't move, she couldn't even blink. Tears began to well up in her eyes. _"Someone,"_ she screamed in her head, _"Save me!"_


	11. Skye

**Here is chapter 11. All the main characters have been introduced(finally! Getting them all involved took a while). Enjoy the chapter.**

Vivi ducked under her attacker's spell before throwing a potion bottle into the shadows of Gale's house. Green smoke filled the room and Vivi used that moment to run the direction of where the attack came from. "I got you!" she yelled and threw one of her potion bottles at the shadow of a person she saw in the smoke.

However potion bottle didn't hit for the shadow of the person moved away and the bottle harmlessly hit the floor. The witch whirled around as she felt the presence behind her and she felt the air whoosh out of her lungs as whoever it was smacked her in the stomach.

Vivi tumbled to the ground and she coughed forcefully. "Damn it," she whispered. She looked up as her green smoke cleared and she saw her attacker for the first time. Her eyes widen. "You?"

The attacker smiled and began walking slowly to Vivi who was now trying to get back to her feet. "Why are you doing this?" asked Vivi angrily. She pulled out another potion from her bag. "I'm warning you, don't come any closer or I will be forced to use this one."

Her attacker just laughed. "I would love to see you try. I know all about your little potion skills. You are just an amateur."

Vivi's temper flared. How dare this…this minion of Lamitonh think they were better than she was. This minion was nothing! She was Vivi. One of the fighters that served under the Harvest Goddess! She was even better than Gale in a battle.

"I am no amateur!" Vivi threw the potion bottle at her attacker. The attacker jumped back to avoid it but that was what Vivi was expecting. The witch dove to the left as the glass bottle shattered and an explosion rocked the room.

Gale was seriously not going to like this when he came back but whatever. He could go cry a river but she was still alive and that was important, at least to her. She grabbed her fallen broomstick and mounted it before taking off. She could see the lights get turned on in the town as she flew over it. She spotted the island guardian girl running out of the bar with her sword. Going to scoop out the scene before the others arrived to see if it was a "magical" situation and then cover it up if need be.

Linelineline

_"No. No. No. No. No!"_ That was the only word that ran through Hikari's mind as the vampire's fangs got closer and closer to her throat. She could lightly feel them against her skin now and she shut her eyes tight. This was it. She was going to get sucked dry or become a vampire herself or something. This was bad. Bad. Bad!

Suddnely, like with the shadow creatures, visions began running through her mind. She saw a village surrounded by mountains, a huge villa with a fountain in front. A bar near an inn, farmhouse, a huge open beach. And. And another farm. A huge farm. And a young woman with brown hair pulled in a ponytail. Her smiling and laughing. Her handing a blue feather to whoever Hikari was looking through the eyes of.

The visions stopped as quickly as they came. Hikari saw the vampire was backing away from her, his blue eyes filled with confusion. "What, what was that?" he asked.

Hikari thought over what she had just seen. The blue feather… "That woman. Is she your wife?"

The vampire seemed to lose all savagery and he sat down on a fallen log. "How did you do that? How could you look through my memories?" He buried his face in his hands.

Hikari shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know how I did it." She held up her hands in a submissive gesture. "I don't even know why I'm like this either."

The vampire ran his fingers through his silver hair. "Yes. She is my wife. Her name is Claire." He held up his left hand, a gold ring that Hikari didn't notice before was on it clear as day.

"Claire," repeated Hikari. "She looked really pretty and I could tell that she loves you." She remembered how some of the memories had the woman in daylight. "She's a human?"

He nodded. "Yes. We live in Forget-Me-Not-Valley."

"But why did you come here?" Hikari settled down on the log next to him. Somehow, when she had witnessed the memories he had as well. And that had affected him more than it did her.

"I…I came here because I heard there might be a way to turn me human here."

Hikari stared at him in shock. "But why do you-I mean it's cool being a vampire and all-"

"It's fine," he replied. "I know." He looked up at the moon shining from overhead. "But being a creature of the night is difficult for the marriage. Sure the people in the town know I exist but they don't know that I'm a vampire. Plus our children will be half-vampires. They won't know the beauty of the sun or anything. And I never get to spend time with her much. She's always out working during the day and exhausted during the night. There is also the blood factor. She has given me the right to drink her blood instead of anyone else's but…" He looked down at his hands. Hikari noticed that he was shaking. She could feel negative energy radiating off him. It was so sorrowful that all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. Without really thinking about it she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her. "It's funny," he said, "but you are really calming you know that? I feel like I can trust you."

Hikari didn't say anything in response. She knew something had happened that he didn't want to speak of but what? Look at her. Comforting a vampire of all things! A few days ago she didn't think there was anyone else like her and now they were popping up left and right!

He pulled away from her, got up and turned to her and held out his hand. "My name is Skye. Ex-phantom thief. You?"

Hikari got up, "My name is-" She cut off when she heard a very familiar sound. She jumped on guard and turned to the left. A shadow creature slithered out into the open.

"What is that thing?" Skye asked.

Hikari stood in front of Skye. There wasn't much she could do but she felt loyalty to this vampire. And she would protect him.


	12. A New Ally

**Here is the next chapter. Finally I can begin the main plot now. Lol. **

The shadow creature slithered slowly on the ground towards Hikari and Skye. Even though Hikari was facing this shadow creature head on she wasn't sure what to do next. She didn't know what kind of magical powers to use to scare it away plus she didn't have cool swords skills like Kathy or the ability to transform like Owen could. The only thing she had was the power to see memories. A lot of good that would do in a battle!

"I almost killed her…"

Hikari looked back at Skye in confusion. This was not the time to be talking about his wife. The vampire was clutching his head, his eyes wide in fear and shock. She turned her attention back to the shadow creature. It was just sitting there but Hikari had a feeling it was focusing in on Skye. Was it making him relieve the horrible memories?

"I'm sorry…Claire…I'm so sorry…"

Hikari glared at the shadow creature. How despicable. Something horrible had happened to Skye and this shadow creature was making him relive it! She felt power welling up inside her and what seemed to be out of pure instinct, she held out her hand and a bright light poured out of it and hit the shadow creature head on. It flinched back but it didn't seem to do anything else.

Was the attack a dud then?

"How dare you!"

Hikari felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. She turned her head slightly and shivered. Skye's eyes were glowing eerily in the moonlight and she could clearly see his long fingernails and fangs. If she had just met him like this she knew she would have thought he was some kind of monster or something.

He opened his mouth, his fangs now clearly visible and with inhuman speed he had darted forward and sliced the shadow creature in two with those fingernails.

Like all the times before, Hikari clamped her hands over her ears as the screams of the dying shadow creature echoed through her brain along with images of a young girl playing with a ball and then holding tightly to a huge gray dog.

The images stopped as quickly as they came. She opened her eyes to see Skye kneeling before her. His blue eyes were gentle now, not the hard cold steely ones from a minute ago. "I'm fine," she said quickly, standing up. "That's normal. It always happens when a shadow creature dies."

"A shadow creature? So that's what it was?" Skye looked over at where the creature had stood. Everything was gone now. It was like it hadn't existed before. He turned back to Hikari. "I sensed them around for a couple days now, you know what they want?"

Hikari shook her head. "No." Her thoughts went to that witch girl. She seemed to know more than she was letting on. "But I think I know someone who does."

"I think it would be best to figure out what they want then," replied Skye. He stared down at the spot where the shadow creature was again. "I didn't think I would have to see that again."

"I'm sorry, it must have been painful," Hikari reached out to place her hand on Skye's shoulder to comfort him but the vampire slid away from her touch.

"Sorry," he said. "But I don't want to take the chance of you seeing the memory either."

"I understand," said Hikari. She figured it must be painful. He had sounded so distraught before.

"Thanks," replied Skye. "Anyway," he ran a hand through his silver hair. "I'm going to head back to the inn. The sun is going to be coming up soon. You should head home too."

Hikari nodded. "Okay. Ummm Skye?" The vampire turned back to her. She gulped. "If you need blood, you can come to me. I mean, I know that you are going to need blood and so you don't have to drink from the other villagers…"

"Thanks Hikari," Skye smiled, his fangs clearly visable before he disappeared into the night.

Linelinelineline

Kathy was not amused by this at all. She had been woken up by her dad telling her there had been an explosion at the Wizard's place. She had to jump out of bed and pretty much sprint over with her katana to check if it was magical or not.

When she had gotten there the whole place was a mess and covered in green goop. It was definitely magical in origin but this…how could she explain something like this? In fact, based on the glass pieces everywhere it was probably done by Vivi.

She made a note to go yell at the witch later. Didn't she remember that there were people on the island who didn't know about the magical going-ons? She probably didn't knowing her. The witch was the kind of person to get excited over pretty much nothing.

"What happened here?"

Kathy jumped and whirled around. "Selena. You surprised me."

"Sorry," said the dancer. She walked into the Wizard's home. "What happened in here?" She pointed to the sword in Kathy's hands. "What's that?"

"Oh this?" Kathy laughed. "It's just a fake weapon you know? I thought the person who made the explosion might still be here so I came prepared for anything." She laughed again. Oh boy. She coughed and turned back to the mess. "I wonder where the guy that lives here is?"

Selena shrugged and backed away from the gooey mess. "Well whatever, I'm going back to the inn now."

"Bye," said Kathy as Selena walked away. She then turned to the mess in front of her. Oh boy. Looks like she had a lot of work to do.


	13. The One Not Truly a Friend

**So here is chapter 13.**

It had been a few days since Hikari had met Skye. She was out in her field, checking her crops to make sure they were all growing well. She did spot a couple wilting a bit and she made a mental note to come outside tonight to make them grow better. Use your own resources to the fullest right?

She heard one of her cows moo and she looked up to see Selena walking up the path. She waved to the young dancer while wondering at the same time what was she doing there. Selena was not the kind of girl who would walk out of town unless she had a good reason to and if she was going to visit Luke then she probably would have taken the mine cart.

"How have you been?" asked Selena. "I'm on my way to see Luke and the mine cart is broken." She looked down at her sandaled feet. "My shoes were not made for this. They were made for dancing." And if to prove her point Selena broke out into a short dance routine.

When she was done, Hikari clapped. "Wow. That was really good."

"That was nothing," replied Selena. "You should see me with music and such." She seemed to be thinking for a moment. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I actually ever saw you at the Brass Bar."

"I'm not a night person," said Hikari quickly. She chuckled slightly to make it seem like a joke. "Funny right?"

Selena smiled slightly. "Yes, a bit. Anyway, see you later Hikari."

Hikari waved goodbye to Selena before returning to work on her field. When the sun was at the highest point she decided to go take a break. Maybe a visit to Kathy was in order. The young swordswoman was in a bad moon for the past couple of days from an attack on the Wizard's house. Kathy had told Hikari it was the witch that lived in the forest's fault but she had been missing for the past couple of days so Kathy couldn't get details on what happened. That put Kathy in a really bad mood. She had been going to the forest every day to try to find out where the Witch was. Hikari had promised to help her today after she was done with work.

"She said to meet in the forest at the Witch's house…" Hikari said to herself as she headed in the direction of the forest. Kathy had given her instructions that if she just went straight she would eventually make it to a small hut in the forest and that was where the witch lived.

However Hikari realized that she should have asked for more specific instructions for she had been walking for a while and nothing seemed to have changed. Everything still looked the same. She sighed. Great. She just had to be dumb enough to go into the forest without instructions. She was about to turn around when she heard the cracking of a branch to her left. She yelped, her thoughts flying to the shadow creatures. Was one right there? What could she do? It was the middle of the day! She had nothing she could use to fight!

However her fear disappeared when she saw who it was. "Selena," she breathed a sigh in relief. "What are you doing out here?"

"Luke wasn't at home, Dale told me he was out cutting wood so I came out here looking for him but he isn't around," replied the dancer. She was picking leaves out of her dress. "You?"

"I'm going to meet Kathy," replied Hikari. "We're uh, going bug hunting!" She inwardly flinched. That was the worst excuse ever but it was the first thing that popped into her head. It wasn't like she could tell Selena it was really about something else.

"Oh?" said Selena. "Well-"

"Get away from her!" cried a voice in the trees.

The two looked up to see the Witch. She was staring down at them intently with her orange eyes, a small satchel slung over her shoulder. "I'm warning you," she snapped. "Get away from her or you'll be sorry!"

"What are you talking about?" Hikari called up to her.

A small chuckle came from Selena and the dancer put her loose red hair behind her ear. "Darn. I thought I got rid of you."

Hikari whirled around to face Selena. "What are you talking about?" She shivered as she saw the crazy look in the young dancer's eyes.

The Witch jumped down from the tree and stood in front of Hikari. "She's the enemy. She works under Lamitonh. I'll explain later," she added quickly when Hikari was about to ask who Lamitonh was.

Selena released the pin holding her red hair up it fell around her head in waves. "You unfortunately escaped last time but it won't happen again."

The Witch pulled out a glass bottle filled with blue liquid out of the satchel. "Well I won't let you have your hands on the Harvest Goddess!"

Hikari was now seriously confused. "What's going on!" she cried. Why was Selena wanting to fight them? Why was this Witch okay with it?

"Sorry Hikari," said Selena. "And here I thought we could be friends." She lifted one hand to the air. "But unfortunately, you had to be the enemy so I guess I'm going to have to settle with killing you."

**Dun! Dun! Dun! XD**


End file.
